Miss Temple City takes Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf over game Zipessa

FRANKLIN, Ky. -- Miss Temple City earned a belated first victory of 2017 with a narrow score over the game pacesetting Zipessa in Saturday's $340,100 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf (G3) under Edgar Prado.

The triple Grade 1 winner started as the 4-5 favorite against five rivals in the one-mile firm turf test. Tracking in second as Zipessa set a pace of :26.42, :48.96, and 1:13.36, Miss Temple City moved up to engage that rival midway through the long straight and won the short duel by a head in a time of 1:36.91.

Owned by The Club Racing, Needle In a Haystack LLC, and Sagamore Farm, the five-year-old is trained by Graham Motion. She paid $3.60.

"I'm always nervous when I run her," Motion said. "Obviously I'm very attached to her and just want to see her run well. Look, it's relief. You get much more nervous about these deals when you're a favorite. And it's a filly we're all obviously really attached to. Not that you don't get attached to all of them. But she's the best filly I ever trained. There's a lot more riding on it, and I'm just glad it worked out. It couldn't have worked out better today."

Zipessa was three lengths clear of Linda, who was followed by Beauly, Susie Bee, and Seeking Paradise.

This was the first win in three starts this season for Miss Temple City. Unable to get in a stateside prep for the Queen Anne (G1) at Royal Ascot in June, she wound up 13th in a field of 16 in her third excursion to that meeting. Last time, she didn't see out the nine furlongs of the Matchmaker (G3) at Monmouth Park, weakening to third after taking a brief lead in the stretch.

Winner of the Maker's 46 Mile (G1) and Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) against males, as well as the Matriarch (G1), in 2016, Miss Temple City also captured the $100,000 Hilltop at Pimlico in 2015. Her record now stands at 19-7-3-3, $1,677,868.

Miss Temple City will return to her favorite course, Keeneland, for her next start, which will come in either the First Lady (G1) against fillies and mares or the Shadwell Turf Mile.

"We'll see how the races shape up and choose which one we go in," Motion said. "We get a little weight break in the Shadwell, and she loves Keeneland."

Bred in Kentucky by Bobfeld Bloodstock, Miss Temple City is by Temple City and out of the stakes-placed Glittering Tax, by Artax. Miss Temple City is a full sister to Grade 3 vixen Pricedtoperfection.